MaximusN8

Hi guys, A couple of weeks ago I changed the oil and did some maintenance on my 2012 Nissan Maxima and noticed the positive battery terminal was loaded with bluish green corrosion and the battery was swollen, So I replaced the battery seeing it was the factory battery and was swollen so I figured time to change it and I also cleaned the positive terminal and coated it with battery lubricant, This morning went outside and decided to check under the hood to see how things were in that area and sure enough positive battery terminal was fully corroded again with a bluish color powder and new battery is slightly swollen. This is leading me to believe that the alternator is overcharging and may need to be replaced and my concern now is to change the alternator on this beast is a whole different animal to face head on. Has anyone had any luck replacing this alternator with out removing the compressor and draining the freon any suggestions? This isn't looking like it's going to be a walk in the park.. Thanks guys for any assistance

Nmax5150

Before I would replace it.. Get a Multimeter and check the voltage at idle..... Check the easy thing first...

LtLeary

This guy shows how to do it. I had mine done the traditional way for about$1100.

If you try it, would like to hear if the process is viable.

Nopike

iTrader: (2)

I have a similar issue I get green corrosion on the negative terminal of my 2014. Changed the OEM battery because it was due anyways. That did not help. Installing a felt washer and coating the terminal does not appear to be helping much either.

I read that overcharging by the alternator can cause this. Tested using the method below and it appears the alternator is fine. So I am kind of stumped.
OP here is how to check if your alternator is not charging properly.
https://itstillruns.com/test-alterna...g-6545420.html


Thanks for the link LtLeary good to know if I ever have to replace my alternator.

MaximusN8

Man Lt I'm handy with cars and I know my way very well around them but this one is scaring me to even attempt, I don't get why Nissan would make an alternator replacement so complicated instead of like most vehicles straight forward. I may just drain the A/C remove the compressor and drop the alternator then replace it put back the compressor refill the freon and call it a day! I don't want to remove the compressor but it maybe the easier route instead of removing cooling fans draining coolant and removing upper and lower hoses that seems like a heck of a to do vs removing the compressor but I'll get a better look when I jack the car up.

MaximusN8

I checked the alternator with my voltmeter and it's right at 14 which is still in the green zone, I wonder what could be going on..

Nmax5150

I would clean both the pos and neg terminals with baking soda.. take them both off and clean them good with a wire terminal brush Check that negative side ground .. Nissan's are notorious for rotting ground wires... I put a new Interstate battery and cleaned both my oem termimals months ago and they still look brand new...

Question, what kind of battery are you using? Batteries are not something to go cheap on..

MaximusN8

I got the Duralast Gold which I have the same one on my 2010 Nissan Maxima with no issues, the 2012 Maxima is my wife's and it had the stock battery up until a couple weeks ago when I noticed the positive terminal very corroded and battery swelled up some so I changed it and cleaned the terminal really good then decided to check it today for the heck of it and noticed it corroded again.

LtLeary

I agree with you. It isn't something I would want to attempt and like you, am pretty handy (which after looking at it for a couple of hours, I gave in and had the dealer to do it (as a bonus, you get your AC serviced with new o-rings, oil and refrigerant) Technically, they should have changed the dryer once they opened the system but I can't vouch they actually did. I can say that replacing the radiator was a bear and I even took off the front bumper to do it So the guy in this video is committed.

Also, re testing with the voltmeter with max load and min load, don't forget to switch to AC on your multi meter. Anything here means you have at least a bad diode (and a lot of folks forget the load and AC tests) Also, make sure you use multiple ground points on your test and not just all on the battery.

MaximusN8

That's good advice right there Lt I think tomorrow after work I'm going to test the alternator under load and see if it stays stable or in a normal range, I love these cars I bought one which is 2010 then my wife liked the car and we bought a 2012 for her daily driver. The cars have been great to us so far mine the 2010 has 120,000 and hers has 70,000, I maintain them faithfully especially when it comes to the CVT drain and fill every 30-35,000 miles. I'm hoping these cars go for the long haul. I know a guy who has 279,000 on his and the only things he's had to replace is 2 wheel bearings, an alternator and an oil pan and of course brakes but apparently nothing major has happened. I know he travels a lot for work so a lot of the mileage is highway but it seems there's hope that these beasts if well maintained can go well into the 200,000's

LtLeary

Yep, I just did my 83rd oil change at 415,000 today. and will send that off to Blackstone. So yep, brakes at 250k (I think I posted a picture on this forum), alternator around 200K radiator at 390k (But that was road damage) and a power steering pump in the 300K range. I did the struts and shocks just because they were 8 years old (no I didn't notice any ride difference after so they were fine) and I had to replace my fog light bulbs (I did both because one was out) and I changed the lower control arms because the one on the passenger side had a grommet starting to crack. I also changed out both axles as one had developed a boot cut/crack/leak so I changed them both. My CVT gets serviced every 100k with a drain/Fill and new filter (I also dropped the pan once to see what was in there...more pictures on the forum here too.) Plugs at 100k, 225K, 375K and always looked great. I did have to replace one coil pack, so I bought 5 more. So I tend to overdo my maintenance a bit, but over the years, I've learned that if you do one, do the other (they are after all, the same age and the same miles) And sometimes, well, It just does my soul good to get greasy, bust a knuckle, sweat my butt off and cuss like a sailor where no one can hear. I do all the maintenance myself with the exception of the alternator and had to hire a 3year old neighbor kid to reach the egr hose by the firewall during plug changes. My next project will be to replace the oil cover assy/gaskets as I noticed some "schmutz" while under the car today for the oil change. It isn't dripping onto the driveway yet but seems like a fun project. I can replace the other coil packs at the same time as ya gotta pull the plenum like you do for changing the plugs.

Good luck finding the source of the battery issues but other than a bad ground, and with our alternators having the regulator as an integral part of the alternator, well, lets just say I wish you the best. One battery bad, sure. Another with bloat, nah.

MaximusN8

Thanks! WOW now that's impressive Lt, Are you running the original CVT?

LtLeary

Yes, original cvt and engine

BronxSleeperMax187

What year tell me more about it, that's impressive. How do you drive it, warm it up etc...Mines is 09 and would love to keep it.

BronxSleeperMax187

What year tell me more about it, that's impressive. How do you drive it, warm it up etc...Mines is 09 and would love to keep it.

MaximusN8

I'm impressed man that's awesome, And all those parts you replaced on your own besides the alternator?

LtLeary

Yes, the alternator is the only one i didnt do myself (i dont have a reclamation system for the ac)

MaximusN8

That's awesome, How hard was replacing all the other parts you replaced did you run into any trouble?

LtLeary

Mine is a 09 SV and i just keep my foot out of it and use my fingers to drive (cruise, shift, etc)

Warming up, i start it, buckle up, and then drive to the neighborhood starbucks
At work, basically the same except it is 1.5 miles @35mph instead of 1 at 40.

My father used to tell me that if a motor could put out 100hp, you should never have to use them all (except for Peterbuilts, etc)

LWilspeed

I replaced my alternator a few months back....misdiagnosed by myself. It ended up being a bad battery ground at the tranny causing all kinds of issues (I should have checked it but it is hard to get to). Anyways, I started with the radiator pull tactic (works on 6th gens)...got part way in and realized the radiator like LtLeary mentioned is "a bear" to get out, not like your average car. Put the front back together, put it up on the lift and tried to weasel the alternator out the bottom. This worked on my 4th gen, but will not work on the 7th gen. I unbolted the compressor (4 bolts) but left the lines connected, I also removed the oil cooler/filter lines from where they are on the frame to give me some more room, and then managed to sneak the alternator out, with some effort.
A few minutes after that, the oring on the supply line going to my compressor started leaking refrigerant . I must have disturbed it enough to expose the weak seal. So I quick dropped the car, evac'd the system, replaced the orings (all of them since they were rock hard and deformed) and put it back together. Morale of the story: I'm not sure....you might get away without evacuating the system but you might not. I wished I had just done it from the get go, the job would have been way faster. If you don't have access to an AC machine you could ask your favorite mechanic to evac your system and let you come back later to charge it. It only takes a few minutes with an AC machine to do an evac. Putting it back in will take a bit longer because you'll need to vacuum for at least 30 minutes before the recharge. But it should come in well under $1100.

VeeQue35DE

I just did my alternator a few months ago because the battery light showed up. Took my Fluke multimeter to it, set it to diode and positive to B terminal and negative to case ground. Swapped the leads and found continuity both ways so I knew the diodes were dead. Getting it out was not fun but it's do-able at home on jack stands. I moved my compressor a little to have more clearance.

Disconnect battery
Remove fan shroud because you'll need the space
Disconnect the B+ cable from the alternator and harness
Remove or relocate upper radiator hose.
Remove lower radiator hose
Take the drive belt off by pulling on the automatic tensioner
Take the idler covering the alternator bolt off
Get ready to support the compressor ( I used a floor jack)
Remove all the mounting bolts holding the compressor.
Lower the compressor just enough so you can maneuver the alternator out. DO NOT let it hang with it's own weight, this will separate the o-rings from the mating surface causing freon to leak out.
Remove alternator mounting bolts and wiggle it out from the top. You can access the long bottom bolt from the wheel well which ended up easier. Just stick your hand into the hole between the alternator and compressor to access the bolt but before removing the bolt note the position of the tab washer on the bolt.
Remove the alternator and replace with the new one.
Install in reverse order
Torque everything down to spec and you should be good to go.

To keep the automatic belt tensioner in place when you reinstall the belt: if you look at the tensioner, there's a hole that lines up with the rear bracket when you pull the tensioner back enough. You can put a nail, a pin punch, skinny bolt, etc. to hold the tensioner in place so you can put the belt back on. I used a pin punch.